Aging Parents Can Forget to Pay Premiums Leading to Policy Lapses With Disastrous Consequences

If your older relative has a long-term care policy, photocopy the page listing the company, policy number and claims contact information. Keep the insurance company updated on new addresses, yours (if you are the third-party designee) and your relative’s. It wouldn’t hurt, if the policyholder is becoming forgetful, to check bank statements or call the company to make sure premiums are current. One story reported by the NY Times shows the calamity that befell a Virginia family because paying the premiums slipped dad’s mind. State legislatures seem hesitant to correct the problem by mandating insurance companies give more formal notice to policy holders or their third-party designees.